Damper.



L ALSFASSER.

DAMPER. APPucATIoN mio ocT.1. i915.

Patented Jan. 2, 1917.

sep/L .lsfesse r,

JOSEPH ALSFASSER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

DAMPER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 2, 1917.,

Application filed October 7, 1915. Serial No. 54,495.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH ALsFAssER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Dampers, of which the following'is a specification.

l y invention relates to dampers, and more particularly to operating and locking means therefor. The object of my improvement is to provide simple and eiiicient means for adjusting and locking dampers in different positions in their ducts.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

An embodiment of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing forming -a part of this specification, and in which- Figure 1 is a fragmental section showing a floor and ceiling construction having .a duct, a damper in the duct, and operating and locking means connected with the stem of the damper; Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmental view looking upwardly at a portion of the ceiling, and the damper operating and locking means with the lid removed from the top which closes said operating and locking means; and Fig. 3 is a fragmental side view of a duct provided with a damper, and having a slightly modified form of operating and locking means.

My invention is adaptable to all forms of building construction, whether the fluid ducts are exposed or hid under the walls of the building construction.

In Fig. 1 I have illustrated a conventional ireproof floor and ceiling construction to show the application of my invention thereto. It will be apparent, however, from this description, thatmy invention is equally adaptable to any other forms of building construction.

In Fig. l of the drawing, a building construction is illustrated having conventional I-beams 5 spaced apart in the floor part of the construction. Between the I-beams 5 are the usual floor tiles 6. In such constructions the ceilings are ordinarily suspended a short distance below the floor part of the construction. Such ceilings are supported in various manners from the floor parts, and as illustrative of one of such forms, I have shown bars 7 having their bent ends 8 engaging portions of the tiles 6, and preventing the removal of said bars. The lower ends of the bars 7 are secured to horizontally extending bars 9, usually angle bars.

A number of the bars 9 are spaced apart, and an expanded metal lath 10, or its mechanical equivalent, secured to said bars 9. To the lath 10 is secured a coat of plaster 11.

I make no claim to the building construction just described.

In such building constructions as already described, the Ventilating and heating ducts are usually placed between the floor and ceiling parts of the construction, thereby hiding such chiots from view. In a system of Ventilating and heating ducts it is necessary to throttle some of such ducts in order to provide equal distribution of air or other heating medium through such ducts. This throttling of the ducts is usually accomplished by dampers which are set to restrict the passage of air through the ducts. It is necessary to provide a means for locking the dampers in desired positions to always insure their remaining in Vthe positions in which they are set. My invention comprises the novel means for adjusting and locking the dampers in their proper positions.

In Fig. 1 I have shown a duct 12 having ears 13 which are secured to the tiles 6 in any approved manner to support the duct in its proper position. In the duct, at a desired position thereof, I place a damper spindle 14, preferably square, and on the damper spindle I mount a damper 15. The damper is so formed that when it is closed, it substantially closes the passage through the duct 12. At the upper end of the stem 14, as shown in Fig. 1, I provide a washer 16, and rivet the end 17 of the spindle 14 over the washer 16, to prevent the spindle 14 from moving downwardly out of its position in the duct. Sometimes it will be found that the spindle 14 may be pressed upwardly out of its proper position, and to prevent such displacement of the spindle I provide a plate 18 riveted to the top of the duct by means of rivets 19, or their equivalent.v It will, therefore, be seen that the members 16, 17, 18 and 19 lock the spindle 14 against longitudinal movement of the latter. The end of spindle 14 is extended through the lath 10 and almost through the plaster 11, and journaled near its outer end in a cup 20, which provides a housing for the operating -and locking means of the spindle. The locking means comprises a plate 21 which has a square opening at its center iitting the spindle 14, thereby causing the plate or disk 21 to be rotated when the spindle is rotated. The cup-or housing 2() is secured to one of the angle bars 9 by means of screws 22, or their equivalent,

thereby providing a fixed mounting for thev housing or cup.Y The bottom of the cup is struck up, as at 23, forming a recess in which are housed nuts 24'l The bottoms of the recesses -23 are perforated, and said pern a screw driver, not shown, or its equivalent,

- lock the plate 21 tightly against the bottomv i ofthe cup 20, thereby locking the damper in 251.

the nuts 24 from becoming lost when the l bolts-26 are loosened, a plate 28 is secured to the bottom-of the cup 20, thereby housing` L and a suitable wrench, not shown, engaged. 20`

on the end 27 of the spindle, to move the spindle until the damper is set in its desired position. The bolts 26 are then adjusted to such adjusted position. In order to prevent l the nuts 24 inecesse's 23. From this it will be seen that, even though one of the bolts 26 is removed from the device, its nut 24 cannot become misplaced.

I preferably provide a plate 29 to close the opening of cup 20, and cover the operating and locking means for the damper. The plate 29 is secured to the cup 2O in any approved manner, and I have shown screws 30 which are threaded in the bottom of the cup as an instance of such securing means for the plate 29. The plate 29 is preferably flush with the lowersurface of the plastering so that whatever decorations are put on the ceiling willnot be interrupted by the plate 29,.

In Fig. 3 I have shown a slightly modified method of applying my invention. This form is preferably used on exposed ducts.

AIn this form I dispense with the cup 2O and its vcover 29, and provide a plate 31, which corresponds to the bottom of cup 20 in the.

form shown in Fig. 1. The plate 31 is secured to the duct 12 by screw bolts 32, or their equivalent. In this form a plate 21 is provided, and formed identically with the plate 21 in the form shown in Figs. 1 and 2. This plate is locked to plate 31 by bolts 26, which are mounted in the same manner as the bolts 26 in the forms shown in Figs. 1 and 2. In this form the end 27 of the spindle is exposed. The bolts 26 and 32 are preferably arranged in the duct 12, so that their ends which extend through the wall of the duct will not interfere with the damper 15 in any of its positions n the duct. Such a position is illustrated by the positions which said bolts occupy in Fig. 3.

I have shown the duct 12 as being square incross section, but such duct may have any a desired cross section without departing from my invention.

Thile I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction of my invention, I do not desire to be limited to the precise details set forth, but desire to avail myself of such variations and changes as come within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim;

1. In combination, a recesses therein and a perforation through the central portion of each recess; a damper spindle journaled in the fixed member; a member secured on the spindle to rotate therewith and Vhaving arcuate slots concentrie with the spindle and registering with the perforations of the fixed members; nuts in and substantially filling said recesses; means covering the open side of the recesses and holding said nuts in said recesses;'and bolts passing through the arcuate slots, perforations of the fixed member and threaded in the nuts locking the spindle against rotation. V

2. In combination, a floor construction; a ceiling spaced from the ioorv construction; a

duct disposed between the floor constructionl and the ceiling; a cup embedded in theV ceiling with its open side opening downwardly outof the ceiling; a damper spindle mounted in the duct with one end extending into the cup; a damper on the damper spindle in the duct; a member carried on the damper spindle in the cup; means in the cup engaging said member and locking the latter and the damper spindle against rotation; and a plate closing the cup and having its outer side plane and substantially fiush with the outer surface of the ceiling.

' 3. In combination a duct; a damper in the duct; a spindle carrying the damper and having its ends extending through the duct; a washer on one of the extendedends of the damper spindle, the latter being riveted over the washer; and a plate disposed across the riveted end of the damper spindle, covering said washer and secured to the duct, said plate and washer vcoperating-to hold theV damper spindle against longitudinal movement.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specificatiomin the presence ofV Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. C.

fixed member having Y 

